President Trump declined to explicitly say he won’t stay in office past Jan. 20, 2029, telling reporters: “We have a long way to go before we can even think about that.”
Trump’s remarks to reporters came on Air Force One on Sunday, as he returned to Washington from Florida, where he spent the weekend.
Trump was repeatedly asked about his remarks earlier in the day to NBC News in which he was quoted as saying he “was not joking” about a third term in office. He told reporters Sunday night: “I’m not looking at that, but I’ll tell you I’ve had more people ask me to have a third term.”
The Constitution mandates a two-term limit for president.
When pressed on it later, Trump said: “I don’t want to talk about a third term now because no matter how you look at it, we have a long time to go. We have almost four years to go. And that’s a long time.”
Trump told NBC News that “there are methods” that would allow him to serve a third term in office.
NBC News also reported that Trump said he is “pissed off” at Vladimir Putin for the Russian president’s recent comments on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s leadership. Trump said he is planning “secondary sanctions on Russia” if they don’t cooperate with a U.S.-brokered ceasefire proposal the two countries agreed to this last week.
He later told reporters: “We’re making a lot of progress on Ukraine and Russia.” And when asked if Putin was an obstacle to the deal, Trump said: “If I think they’re tapping this along, I will not be happy about it.”
The call with NBC News’ Kirsten Welker on Sunday was the second in two days. In the first, Trump spoke about the impact of tariffs and U.S. policy toward Iran. While portions of the transcript have been released, the audio from the interview has not been shared.
“I’m not joking”
Trump, 78, said in the interview that he was serious about seeking a third term in office.
“A lot of people want me to do it,” Trump said, according to NBC News. “But we have — my thinking is, we have a long way to go. I’m focused on the current.”
When asked about specific plans for seeking a third term, Trump confirmed one method — Vice President Vance wins the White House in a future election and then hands over the presidency. Trump said there were other plans, but he refused to say what they were.
As it stands, the Constitution’s 22nd Amendment prohibits anyone from being elected president more than twice. Separately, the 12th Amendment says: “No person constitutionally ineligible to the office of President shall be eligible to that of Vice-President of the United States.”
Changing the Constitution requires a two-thirds vote in Congress or a constitutional convention — which 34 states need to request. Given the congressional deadlock — not to mention how the country is divided politically — the prospect of this appears slim.
Trump did not mention the Constitution during his call with NBC News, but repeatedly pointed to his popularity.
“A lot of people would like me to do that,” Trump said of a third presidential run, according to NBC News. “But, I mean, I basically tell them, we have a long way to go, you know, it’s very early in the administration.”
Trump’s openness to a third term comes after encouragement from his most ardent allies. His former adviser Steve Bannon, who is now a podcast host, has already endorsed Trump for the 2028 campaign. In Congress, Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., proposed amending the 22nd Amendment to clear the way for Trump’s third term just days after his second inauguration.
When asked if he was joking about another presidential run, Trump said, “No, no I’m not joking,” according to NBC News.
The 22nd Amendment was ratified by Congress in 1951 after Democrat Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected president four times.
“Very angry” with Putin
Trump also said he was “pissed off” and “very angry” with Putin after the Russian leader questioned Zelenskyy’s leadership of Ukraine.
On Friday, Putin called for a “transitional administration” in Ukraine and for his troops to “finish off” the Ukrainian army, according to reports by Agence France-Presse.
Trump said these comments were “not going in the right” direction and threatened sanctions against Russia if they don’t cooperate on a ceasefire plan.
“If Russia and I are unable to make a deal on stopping the bloodshed in Ukraine, and if I think it was Russia’s fault — which it might not be — but if I think it was Russia’s fault, I am going to put secondary tariffs on oil, on all oil coming out of Russia, ” Trump said Sunday, according to NBC News.
“That would be that if you buy oil from Russia, you can’t do business in the United States,” Trump clarified. “There will be a 25% tariff on all oil, a 25- to 50-point tariff on all oil.”
Trump said he spoke with Putin “not long ago” and confirmed the Russian president knows his feelings.
“Angry, but have a very good relationship with him,” Trump said about Putin.
Trump said he plans to speak with Putin this week.
Last week, Russia and Ukraine agreed on a partial and tentative ceasefirein the Black Sea region. The deal came after a three-day meeting in Riyadh. Since the deal was made, both Moscow and Kyiv have accused each other of violating the agreement while continuing attacks on each other elsewhere. Trump promised a swift end to the fighting between Russian and Ukraine during the campaign.
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